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Chapter 3
Respondent Definitions

The respondents in the Child Development Supplement have already been included in at least one PSID interview. In fact, the majority of respondents were from long-time PSID respondent families. Many are the children of original core PSID respondents. By matching 1986 ID and person number, information on these respondents and their families can be obtained from previous waves of the core PSID as well as from the 1997 wave. Eligibility for the Child Development Supplement is based on the ages of the PSID family's children. If the family has a child age 12 or younger, the entire PSID Household Unit is eligible for the Child Development Supplement.

Adult respondents include selected persons who have influence over the child's development. The following is a list of potential respondents in a household case. A household case would never include every respondent on this list. A face-to-face interview will be conducted only with the children and primary caregiver.

Child
Up to two children age 12 and younger per PSID Family Unit were eligible for inclusion in this study. All eligible children had to be members of the PSID Sample; that is, they were the child of a sample member. Therefore, it is possible that some children in a household were not eligible for inclusion in this study. If the child was under 3 years of age, although still eligible for the study, the child was not personally interviewed, but information was gathered on this child from his or her parents and caregivers. The age of the children at the time of the PSID interview was used to determine eligibility for inclusion in the CDS study. The child's actual age at the time of the survey, however, was used to determine the specific portions of instruments to administer to the child. The actual age at the survey date was also used to calculate standardized test scores.

Primary Caregiver
The main respondent for this study was the primary caregiver, usually the child's mother. If the mother was not living with the child, the primary caregiver could be the father, legal guardian or person who knows most about the child's activities. If the primary caregiver was interviewed about two children, the interviewer filled out a separate questionnaire for each child. The primary caregiver also completed two time diaries for each child and one self-administered household booklet.

The following is the checkpoint that the field interviewer followed to determine the primary caregiver in most cases. The list is priority ordered; that is, the mother is the first choice.

DETERMINE PROBABLE PRIMARY CAREGIVER AND MARK ON HH INFORMATION SHEET (IF POSSIBLE), USING CRITERIA BELOW:

1. MOTHER (Biological, Step, Foster, or Adoptive), or a "WIFE" of PSID Head
2. FATHER (Biological, Step, Foster, or Adoptive)
3. LEGAL GUARDIAN OF CHILD
4. ADULT in HU who takes primary responsibility for child (not someone paid, e.g., a babysitter or a nanny)

Other Caregiver
The Other Caregiver is defined as another adult in the Household Unit who helps raise the child. This is usually the child's father or the mother's spouse/partner, but could also be the grandmother of the child or another adult relative or non-adult living in the household. This respondent also completed several self-administered questionnaires (one for each child and one household booklet).

The following is the checkpoint that the field interviewer followed to determine the Other Caregiver in most cases. These are also priority ordered.

DETERMINE PROBABLE OTHER CAREGIVER AND MARK ON HH INFORMATION SHEET (IF POSSIBLE), USING CRITERIA BELOW:

1. FATHER (Biological, Step, Foster, or Adoptive)
2. GRANDMOTHER of Child
3. BOYFRIEND or GIRLFRIEND of Primary Caregiver
4. OTHER (Adult) RELATIVE of Child
5. OTHER (Adult) NONRELATIVE (not someone paid, e.g., a babysitter or a nanny)

Father Outside of the Home
The father outside of the home is the biological or adoptive father since infancy who is not living in the home of the target child. A phone interview was conducted with him; the interviewer administered one child questionnaire for each child and one household questionnaire.

Preschool/Day Care Teacher
The preschool/day care teacher is the child's main preschool teacher or daycare provider. The day care center must be located in a business location to be termed "day care." A time diary for the child is included in this questionnaire.

Preschool/Daycare Administrator
A self-administered questionnaire was sent to the administrator of the school or child care center that the child attends. The administrator questionnaire asked about the school or program environment, not specifically about the child.

Elementary/Middle School Teacher
The child's main elementary or middle school teacher received a mailed self-administered questionnaire. A time diary for the child was included in this questionnaire. If the child changes classes regularly throughout the day, the teacher skips the time diary portion of the questionnaire. Instead, this diary was included in the Child questionnaire administered to the target child. For children in home schooling, the parent or household member who teaches the child was given this teacher questionnaire to fill out.

Elementary/Middle School Administrator
A self-administered questionnaire was mailed to the administrator of the school that the child attends. The administrator questionnaire asked about the school or program environment but not specifically about the child.

Home-Based Care Provider
The home-based care provider cares for children in a residential home. That home may be the provider's home or the child's home; regular baby-sitters are included. A self-administered questionnaire, including a time diary for the child, was sent to the child's care provider. A time diary for the child is included in this questionnaire.

Field Interviewer
The interviewer was also a respondent/observer in this study. The interviewer observes the primary caregiver's interactions with the child. These observations are recorded in thumbnail sketches; additional questions are asked at the back of the interviewer-administered primary caregiver child questionnaire.